


Prisoners of War

by Lady_Sci_Fi



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-18 00:09:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21518704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Sci_Fi/pseuds/Lady_Sci_Fi
Summary: Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton are captured by an invading alien force, and sent to their most dangerous prison.
Relationships: John Benton/Mike Yates
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Benton and Mike struggled against the handcuffs behind their backs and the powerful grips of the aliens’, Tarshifes, hands on their shoulders. But there wasn’t anything either of them could do to get free.

A couple minutes later, several UNIT trucks, led by the Brigadier, the Doctor, and Jo in Bessie, drove into the field. They stopped not far from the gathered group of aliens. The Doctor and Alistair jumped out and took a few steps forward. The soldiers in the trucks also did so, keeping their guns pointed to the ground.

“We are grateful you met us here,” the leader of the Tarshifes said in greeting. His pointed ears twitched as the breeze disturbed the short reddish fur.

“You have two of my men,” Alistair pointed out. “We had little choice.”

“They are important to you, then?”

Mike and Benton glanced to each other. They hadn’t been mistreated, but they both wondered how long that would last if they stayed in the Tarshifes’ clutches.

“You’re defeated,” the Doctor stated. “Let them free and go back to wherever you came from.”

“No, we are not. This is a ceasefire.”

“Ceasefire? You want to discuss terms?” Alistair inquired. A ceasefire was better than nothing from these would-be invaders. Maybe the Doctor would be able to negotiate them away.

“Your two men are part of the terms.”

“Of course, and what do you want in return?”

Benton let out a tiny sigh of frustration at being a hostage.

“We’re taking them for compensation.”

“Compensation? For what? You began the hostilities.”

The Tarshife leader made a gesture. Two of the four aliens holding the hostages let go. The remaining two pressed a button on their belts.

Mike’s and Benton’s eyes widened and they struggled again as they felt a strange sensation over their bodies. “What are you doing?” Mike asked first.

“Doctor!” Jo started as Mike and Benton began to fade away. All she could do was stare in horror.

“What’s going on?” Alistair asked. Within a few seconds, they were gone. “Where are they?” he shouted. The Doctor expressed his alarm more quietly.

“I told you, we are taking them for compensation.”

“They’ve transmatted them away,” the Doctor said quietly to his friends.

“Where have you taken them?” Alistair took several steps forward. The Doctor lunged forward to grab his arm as the Tarshifes’ hands hovered over the weapons on their belts. Alistair stopped, but didn’t backpedal at all.

“Now we will discuss terms.”

Alistair looked to the Doctor, who only nodded grimly.

********

“Now hold on just a minute!” Mike demanded as one alien shoved off the platform they had appeared on. Beside him, Benton grunted as he tripped and nearly fell. “Where are we?”

It looked like a high-tech room, which made sense, with the Tarshifes being advanced aliens. Spaceship, Mike guessed internally. He knew Benton had reached the same conclusion.

“Commander Eloor wants them sent to Kisi 2,” said one of the Tarshifes to the one manning the nearby console. She nodded, and began inputting commands.

“Name.” one of them demanded of the Human pair.

“Not until you tell us what you’re doing with us,” Mike challenged.

“You’re being sent to a prison. Now, names.”

“Prison?” Benton repeated. “For what?”

“For compensation.”

“POW, you mean?” Mike asked.

The pair who had brought them here tilted their heads. The one who had taken out a small computer pad again commanded, “Names.” His large silver eyes seemed to flash dangerously in the light.

Mike sighed and answered, “Mike Yates.” Benton followed suit with a reluctant, “John Benton.”

“Names: Mike Yates and John Benton. Species: Human. Age: younger adult by appearance. Processed to Kisi 2 prison.”

“Wait, you can’t just-” Benton started.

“Silence. The order was already made.”

“It’s ready,” the alien at the console reported.

“How long ago?” Mike questioned.

“It is a standing order about any of you we capture.”

“So, we had no chance, then,” Benton quietly understood.

“Now, back on the platform.” When Mike and Benton didn’t comply, the alien pair roughly grabbed them and yanked them onto it with them.

By the fifth pass through the transmat beam, each time materializing in a different room like some sort of relay system, Mike and Benton felt very lightheaded.

But they immediately felt the change of atmosphere in the place they were again pushed off the platform. It felt heavy and oppressive, which was exactly what Mike expected a prison to feel like. Apparently, these aliens had thought the same when designing this place.

“Looks like this is actually happening,” Benton said quietly.

“Chin up, Sergeant,” Mike whispered to his partner. The other man nodded.

The Tarshife who had recorded their information handed it over to the one at this console, who checked it over. He input the information into his computer system before giving it back. “We’ll take them from here.”

A door slid open, and five guards stepped inside. The two Tarshifes who had brought the Human pair unlocked the handcuffs. Mike and Benton didn't get much time for relief, with bigger stronger ones being attached to their wrists quickly after. At least this time they were secured in front instead of behind. Benton would take any small comfort.

The guards didn’t speak as they led the pair out of the transmat room and down a corridor. The two soldiers thought about what they could possibly do now, on some alien world in a prison, where the only avenue of escape they knew about right now was a complex transmat system. Maybe the Doctor would be able to somehow talk them out of here.

“No need to be pushy,” Mike remarked as they were shoved into a room.

The cuffs were taken off them, and the guards commanded, “Strip.”

They knew they weren't going to do themselves any favours by being uncooperative now. Mike started with his combat jacket. Benton followed his lead. One of the guards went through another door, and returned with two pairs of underwear and two-piece dark grey prison suits.

They weren’t allowed to immediately dress after they were completely naked, with the guards checking them over for any potentially hidden weapons or items. Their guns and radios had already been taken when they had been originally captured, and they didn’t have anything else on them.

“You will be physically assessed,” one guard informed as they were finally allowed to put the uniforms on.

“Get many Humans out this way?” Mike asked. “Or are we the first?” His uniform was a bit loose on him. Benton’s wasn’t much better.

The guards didn’t seem to care for the question, and handcuffed them again without any response. They were taken to another room, this time one set up like a doctor’s office. They were told to strip after again being unrestrained.

Mike remarked, “Why not just have assessed us before we got the uniforms?” It earned him a smack across the face, and he winced at the stinging pain in his jaw. He waved Benton away. It seemed the Tarshifes weren’t above reacting violently when annoyed. Good information to know. He supposed it made sense in a prison.

The assessment involved a lot of poking and prodding and looking with various devices, but thankfully wasn’t more… invasive. It ended with something small being implanted under the skin in the back of their necks. No doubt a way to keep track of them.

They were again handcuffed, and the guards were again unnecessarily shoving them along. They didn’t protest at the roughness this time.

“Meals happen twice, at the start of the day and after you return from work assignment.”

“Work assignment?” Benton asked first.

“Yours will be decided by the morning.”

Mike didn’t ask for more information, deciding the effort would be useless. They would find out tomorrow, anyway.

It didn’t take long for them to hear a cacophony of voices and shouts and other random noises. The sort of sounds they had heard from a prison common area before. But it sounded much bigger than they had expected.

“You are assigned to cell Baka-45.”

Mike and Benton nodded in understanding. They emerged from the corridor, and stopped at a railing, realizing they were above most everything. They looked down to see the complex was several stories deep.

From their perspective, they could see various bits of the levels, which all had a square hole in the centers. They both glanced up, and their hearts sank a little at the lack of any sort of windows or way to see the sky. Were they underground?

Benton returned his gaze to the inhabitants. He said quietly, “Mike, I don’t think this is a POW camp.”

Mike soon noticed the same thing Benton had. Over half of the prisoners he could see were Tarshifes, while the rest were of various species. The ones he could see closest definitely had the presence of hardened criminals. “A general prison, then.” He didn’t know if that increased or decreased their chances of getting out of here sooner.

As the guards removed the handcuffs, Benton asked, “Which way to… Baka-45?”

The guards didn’t answer, instead opening the nearby gate and shoving Mike and Benton out of it.

They tripped down a few of the stairs before they caught themselves. “Guess that means we’re on our own,” Mike sighed.

They had no choice but to descend. Benton’s hand found Mike’s, and squeezed briefly.


	2. Chapter 2

Mike and Benton stayed very close, with no desire to separate even the tiniest bit more. They knew they couldn’t afford to here.

“Baka-45,” Benton muttered to remind himself of their intended destination.

“Where do we even start, do you reckon?” Mike glanced around, looking for any type of signage.

“Not getting attacked?” Benton suggested.

“Good idea.”

They reached the first level down, and were greeted with hard stares. “Well, boys, fresh meat, huh?” one of the non-Tarshife aliens remarked to his group of friends.

Benton glared back at him. They couldn't be seen as weak or cowardly as a first impression. They were not going to be victims of the actual criminals here. Hopefully, they wouldn't be here long enough for that, anyway. Maybe a couple days at most.

Mike spotted a sign that said ‘Opon-1.’ “Keep going down.” They quickly found the next set of stairs and kept descending.

“Sipone-2.” Benton read. “Two more?” He recognized the pattern.

The next level was marked Wiku-3. They kept getting looks from everyone they passed, and Mike really wished they didn’t have to go down four levels and attract more attention. At least no one had decided to immediately jump them. The presence of the guards visible on every level probably dissuaded them. He couldn't help but wonder if it would devolve into a free-for-all if the guards were ever not around.

“Baka-4,” Benton stated with relief as they stepped onto that landing. Again, they were stared at by the other prisoners. He tried not to let it bother him as they looked for their assigned cell.

Unfortunately, it looked like it was completely across the way from the stairs.

“Oh, look at this,” someone called out. “New ones.”

“Always exciting,” said another.

The space was much more expansive than Mike and Benton had originally thought, and both felt their anxiety rising from the hungry stares at their backs. Each step felt like another opportunity to be attacked.

23, 22, 21… Mike mentally ticked the numbers above the cells. He yelped in surprise as Benton shoved him forward without warning. He quickly turned back at the loud thud and Benton’s cry. A huge hulking beast of an alien man, at least eight feet tall, had Benton pinned to the wall with one hand. So much for making it to their cell without being jumped.

“Hey! Let him go!” Mike jumped towards them, grabbing for the massive hand on Benton’s chest. But he had barely touched it when someone jumped down onto him, knocking him to the floor. He quickly rolled up to his knees, only to be downed again by a hard kick to his chest. That foot came down on his arm, pinning it to the floor. Mike grabbed at the person's ankle, and received a stomp to his chest with the other foot.

Mike stopped struggling, knowing it wouldn’t do any good with Benton still trapped in the giant’s grasp. He looked up at the woman who had downed him, nearly shivering at her twisted sort of smile. She could’ve easily passed for Human if not for the white and brown feathers instead of hair sticking out the back of the headscarf tied around her head. Mike swallowed, and glanced to Benton. His partner had his hands wrapped around fingers and was struggling to push the huge hand off him, but had managed no progress at all.

“New prey,” the tan-skinned woman said with more than a hint of glee. Her silver eyes glinted.

“Look, we just want to go to our cell, so if you could let us go?” Mike suggested. Why weren’t any guards breaking this up?

“I decide when you do so,” the woman countered matter-of-factly. “Fera runs this level.” The way she said it let the two men know she was talking about herself.

Benton strained as he got the massive hand away by a centimeter. But it easily overpowered him again. “What do you want?” The only answer he got from the rough face was a grunt.

Fera said, “You are weak.”

“Excuse me?” Mike responded. Though he wondered how much they could prove otherwise in their positions.

“You are certainly not stronger than Tor.”

“Hardly a fair fight, jumping us like this,” Benton pointed out. His chest had started to hurt, and he tried not to breathe as deeply.

“Fair? That’s not the point,” Fera laughed. Then she lifted her foot off Mike’s arm.

Mike immediately got up to his feet. After Fera jumped up onto Tor’s back like he was her mount, and he released Benton and backed away, Mike rushed to the other man. Benton slumped back slightly against the wall, catching his breath and rubbing at his chest.

When Fera and Tor turned and left them alone, Benton admitted, “He’s very strong.”

“Quite big,” Mike agreed. “She hits hard, too.” He shook his head. “Come on, before someone else decides to try something.”

They quickened their pace, and reached their assigned cell in under a minute. To their relief, it was empty and set up for only two people. They immediately pulled the sliding door closed to prevent anyone else having easy access to them. They didn’t see a way to lock it, and hoped the day would end soon for the guards to do so. Mike even checked out the small barred section near the top before relaxing the tiniest amount.

“You alright?” Benton asked.

Mike nodded. “You?” At the sound of affirmation, Mike pulled him into a tight embrace. “I’m sorry, about all this.”

“It’s not your fault. Could’ve happened to anyone.” Benton pulled back. “And at least they didn’t separate us.”

“Yes, that’s something.”

“Gives us a chance?”

Mike smiled. “Yeah.”

They glanced around the space, which wasn’t much different from an English prison. Grey, toilet and shower area, and two simple beds across from each other, larger than they would need but able to accommodate a more varied sample of alien species. Despite the size, the basic mattress, sheet, blanket, and pillow didn’t look very comfortable.

“Think that big bloke could even fit on this?” Benton asked lightly.

“Wouldn’t surprise me if he slept on the floor in front of her, like a dog or something.” That was the impression Mike got from the pair. He sat on the edge of one bed, and leaned his head forward to put in his hands. What a long day with a terrible ending. There probably wasn’t much worse than being shipped off to some alien prison who knew how far from Earth.

Benton stepped in front of Mike and wrapped his arms around him. Mike practically melted into the embrace and reciprocated. A few minutes later, they both sat back against the wall, hands entwined and Benton’s head on Mike’s shoulder, waiting for the day to end and for their cell door to lock and leave them in safety.

******** 

“Well, Doctor, what do we do now?” Alistair asked as they drove back to HQ after discussing the ceasefire terms with the Tarshifes. While they didn’t have to worry about any active hostilities from the aliens for the moment…

“It sounded like getting Mike and Benton back was off the table,” Jo said from the backseat of Bessie.

“Indeed,” the Doctor sighed “Not even a mention of where they were taken.”

“If they had done that, then we could go in the Tardis and get them ourselves.”

“Yes, Jo, we could have. But for now…”

“There’s no way for us to trace wherever they went?” Alistair asked.

The Doctor shook his head. “I didn’t have any instruments on me, and even if I did, if they were sent a long ways…”

“We’ve got to get the answer out of the Tarshifes then?” Alistair sighed. “Discussing the terms with them was bad enough.”

“They took them for compensation. That doesn't sound like they’d want to give them back for something in return. Not like a hostage,” Jo mused.

“Then it’ll take some negotiation on our parts,” the Timelord replied. He amended, “On my part, in particular.”

“In the meantime, hope that they’re being treated well?” Jo suggested.

Alistair snorted. “They will be, if the Tarshifes know what’s good for them.”

“Empty threats, Lethbridge-Stewart,” the Doctor admonished. “We’re in a precarious enough situation as is without those.”

“For Yates’ and Benton’s sake, I hope your diplomacy works soon.”

“So do I, Brigadier. So do I.”


End file.
